Successful foreign policy by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev contributed to the growth in the number of countries supporting Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Novruz Mammadov said, Trend reports March 15.

He was speaking in the Azerbaijani parliament with a report on the results of the work of the Cabinet of Ministers in 2018.

He said that the year 2018 was rich in significant events and great achievements in the socio-political and socio-economic life of Azerbaijan.

The prime minister noted that at the presidential election of 2018, Azerbaijani people re-elected Ilham Aliyev as president, voting for stability and development in the country.

He stressed that in 2018, the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh problem continued to remain priority direction of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, and the world community was informed that a solution to this conflict is possible only within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Mammadov added that last year the work continued in Azerbaijan to improve the social welfare of the population, and salaries, pensions and state allowances were raised.

Great attention was paid in Azerbaijan to issues of self-sufficiency in food products, and the state support in this direction was continued, he said.

“Attention was paid to improving the irrigation system of the sown areas, 314 subartesian wells were drilled to improve water supply to the population, the relevant work was carried out to create irrigation canals,” he added. “The work was also done in connection with the creation of 50 agricultural parks.”

Mammadov reminded that the centenary of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was solemnly celebrated last year.